Astrophysics & Astrophotography

Dr. Travis A. Rector

NGC 3359

NGC 3359 is a barred spiral galaxy. Recent research has shown that the central bar in this galaxy is relatively young. The bar is only 500 million years old, as compared to the several billion year age of the galaxy. In addition to its central bar NGC 3359 is known for its many regions of star formation, so-called [H II] regions, that are visible as light-red patches throughout the galaxy. There are approximately 100 [H II] regions in NGC 3359, which makes it an example of intense star formation.